Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) Rate
This includes cases involving days away from work, restricted work activity, and transfers to another job and is calculated based on (N/EH) x (200,000) where N is the number of cases involving days away and/or job transfer or restriction, EH is the total number of hours worked by all employees during the calendar year, and 200,000 is the base for 100 full-time equivalent employees
Establishment
An establishment is a single physical location where business is conducted or where services or industrial operations are performed. For activities where employees do not work at a single physical location, such as construction; transportation; communications, electric, gas and sanitary services; and similar operations, the establishment is represented by main or branch offices, terminals, stations, etc. that either supervise such activities or are the base from which personnel carry out these activities.
Normally, one business location has only one establishment. Under limited conditions, the employer may consider two or more separate businesses that share a single location to be separate establishments. An employer may divide one location into two or more establishments only when:
- Each of the establishments represents a distinctly separate business;
- Each business is engaged in a different economic activity;
- No one industry description in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual (1987) applies to the joint activities of the establishments; and
- Separate reports are routinely prepared for each establishment on the number of employees, their wages and salaries, sales or receipts, and other business information. For example, if an employer operates a construction company at the same location as a lumber yard, the employer may consider each business to be a separate establishment.
An establishment can include more than one physical location, but only under certain conditions. An employer may combine two or more physical locations into a single establishment only when:
- The employer operates the locations as a single business operation under common management;
- The locations are all located in close proximity to each other; and
- The employer keeps one set of business records for the locations, such as records on the number of employees, their wages and salaries, sales or receipts, and other kinds of business information. For example, one manufacturing establishment might include the main plant, a warehouse a few blocks away, and an administrative services building across the street.
For employees who telecommute from home, the employee's home is not a business establishment and a separate OSHA 300 Log is not required. Employees who telecommute must be linked to one of your establishments.
First Aid
In general, first aid treatment can be distinguished from medical treatment because:
- First aid is usually administered after the injury or illness occurs and at the location (workplace) where it occurred.
- First aid usually consists of one-time or short-term treatment.
- First aid treatments are usually simple and require little or no technology.
- First aid can be administered by people with little training (beyond first aid training) and even by the injured or ill person.
- First aid is usually administered to keep the condition from worsening, while the injured or ill person is awaiting medical treatment.
For the recordkeeping standard, first aid treatment means the following:
- Using a non-prescription medication at non-prescription strength (for medications available in both prescription and non-prescription form, a recommendation by a physician or HCP to use a non-prescription medication at prescription strength is considered medical treatment);
- Administering tetanus immunizations (other immunizations, such as hepatitis B vaccine or rabies vaccine, are considered medical treatment);
- Cleaning, flushing, or soaking wounds on the surface of the skin;
- Using wound coverings such as bandages, Band-Aids™, gauze pads, etc.; or using butterfly bandages or Steri-Strips™ (other wound closing devices such as sutures or staples are considered medical treatment);
- Using hot or cold therapy;
- Using any non-rigid means of support, such as elastic bandages, wraps, non-rigid back belts, etc. (devices with rigid stays or other systems designed to immobilize parts of the body are considered medical treatment);
- Using temporary immobilization devices while transporting an accident victim (splints, slings, neck collars, back boards, etc.);
- Drilling of a fingernail or toenail to relieve pressure, or draining fluid from a blister;
- Using eye patches;
- Removing foreign bodies from the eye using only irrigation or a cotton swab;
- Removing splinters or foreign material from areas other than the eye by irrigation, tweezers, cotton swabs or other simple means;
- Using finger guards;
- Using massages (physical therapy or chiropractic treatment are considered medical treatment for recordkeeping purposes); or
- Drinking fluids for relief of heat stress.
Injury or Illness
An injury or illness is an abnormal condition or disorder. Injuries include cases such as, but not limited to, a cut, fracture, sprain, or amputation. Illnesses include both acute and chronic illnesses, such as, but not limited to, a skin disease, respiratory disorder, or poisoning. (Note: Injuries and illnesses are recordable only if they are new, work-related cases that meet one or more of the Part 1904 recording criteria.)
Medical Treatment
Medical treatment means the management and care of a patient to combat disease or disorder. Under OSHA's recordkeeping standard, medical treatment does not include:
- Visits to a physician or other licensed healthcare professional solely for observation or counseling;
- The conduct of diagnostic procedures, such as x-rays and blood tests, including the administration of prescription medications used solely for diagnostic purposes (eye drops to dilate pupils); or
- Procedures that constitute the standard's definition of first aid.
Physician or Other Licensed Healthcare Professional
A physician or other licensed healthcare professional is an individual whose legally permitted scope of practice (i.e., license, registration, or certification) allows him or her to independently perform, or be delegated the responsibility to perform, the activities described by this regulation.
Work Environment
OSHA defines the work environment as the establishment and other locations where one or more employees are working or are present as a condition of their employment. The work environment includes not only physical locations, but also the equipment or materials used by an employee to perform work.
